Find out how popular the last name Kirlew is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Kirlew.

Kirlew, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Kirlew surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kirlew in America

Kirlew is the 65964th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kirlew surname appeared 300 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Kirlew.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kirlew to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Kirlew

The surname Kirlew is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the counties of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, sometime during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "cyrice" and "hlaw," which translate to "church" and "hill" or "mound," respectively. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a church on a hill or a raised area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Kirlew surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Cyriclahue." This ancient record, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a survey of land and property ownership throughout England at the time.

In the 13th century, the name was also documented in various forms, such as "Kirkelawe" and "Kyrklawe," further reinforcing its connection to the Old English words for "church" and "hill." The variations in spelling were common during this period due to the lack of standardized orthography.

One notable individual with the Kirlew surname was John Kirlew, a prominent merchant and landowner from Yorkshire, who lived in the late 15th century. He is recorded as having significant landholdings in the region and was influential in local affairs.

Another historical figure was Thomas Kirlew, born in 1624 in Lincolnshire. He served as a Member of Parliament for Grimsby in the late 17th century and was known for his involvement in local politics during the turbulent period of the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, a man named William Kirlew, born in 1712 in Yorkshire, gained recognition as a skilled architect and builder. He was responsible for the design and construction of several notable structures in the region, including churches and manor houses.

Moving into the 19th century, the Kirlew surname can be found in various historical records, such as parish registers and census documents. One prominent individual from this era was Elizabeth Kirlew, born in 1823 in Lincolnshire. She was a renowned educator and campaigner for women's rights, advocating for equal opportunities in education and employment.

Additionally, the Kirlew name has been associated with several place names in England, such as Kirkley in Suffolk and Kirkley Hall in Northumberland. These locations may have derived their names from the Old English words that also gave rise to the Kirlew surname, further underscoring the name's deep historical roots in the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kirlew

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Kirlew.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Kirlew was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Kirlew has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Kirlew was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Kirlew, please contact us.

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